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Daemon Weapon
speaking to his Daemon Weapon.]] A Daemon Weapon is a mighty artefact of Chaos, a blasphemous union of the Materium's matter and the Immaterium's spirit. It is most often given as a gift from the Ruinous Powers to their favoured mortal servants. As the name implies, a Daemon Weapon is a weapon into which has been bound the essence of a daemon. A Daemon Weapon is most often a close quarters weapon, although daemonic ranged weapons have been encountered. Quite often the daemon is bound into the weapon as the result of a punishment rendered by its patron Chaos God, but at times exceptional mortal servants of Chaos manage to entreat a daemon to assist them in their exploits of slaughter, and the daemon binds itself willingly to its bearer. A Daemon Weapon is a sentient item that grants tremendous power to its wielder. The weapon itself is often quite destructive in its own right, and nearly all Daemon Weapons allow their bearers access to their daemonic senses, heightening their perceptions of their surroundings. The bound daemon, if it has not been driven to insanity by its imprisonment, can also counsel its bearer or even manipulate him. Bound Tzeentchian daemons are particularly fond of and apt at this. The simple fact of bearing a Daemon Weapon is a source of immense prestige amongst the servants of the Ruinous Powers, a true mark of the favours of the god(s), and the bearer will soon see his personal flock swell with eager underlings. But this power comes at a dangerous price: the bound daemon cares neither for mortal frailties nor limitations, and will rebel if its bearer does not use it for constant slaughter or the fulfillment of whatever the daemon deems to be its own personal goals. If the bearer does not succeed in controlling their weapon, they will be killed as soon as the weapon finds a better prospective wielder, quite often by the contrivance of the Daemon Weapon, as it withdraws its support at a critical moment. Daemon Weapon Types Daemon Weapons are by their nature unique, for every daemon is an unique individual. However, weapons containing the essence of similar types of daemons will have similar properties, and the power granted to its bearer will ultimately be in accordance with the power of the daemon bound within. A blade containing a Lesser Daemon will be as a child's toy in comparison to one containing a Greater Daemon, but will be much easier to placate. And even a weapon containing the least of Warp entities is already a blasphemously powerful item, able to channel raw Immaterium energies to sunder and destroy anything it strikes. The Ordo Malleus has identified many types of these blasphemous weapons, to better oppose them: Chaos Undivided Daemons of Chaos Undivided who become bound into weapons will often take the following form: *''Accursed Crozius'' - An Accursed Crozius is the mark of office of a Word Bearers Dark Apostle. When the Chaplains of the Word Bearers Legion willingly embraced Chaos in the days before the start of the Horus Heresy they ritually desecrated their once sacred weapons. Bound within these talismans of Chaos is a daemon of Chaos Undivided who grants the Apostle additional protection and oratory prowess. *''Black Mace'' - This malefic mace is said to have been cursed by each of the Daemon Primarchs. One who is struck by it instantly collapses into a mouldering pile of bones, while the curse spreads in a deadly shock wave to all those foes of the Dark Gods in the vicinity. *''Blade of the Hydra'' - Long ago, this oversized Chainsword was of purely ceremonial use. Since the Daemon Prince Gharual of the Nine Sundered Souls was bound inside it, however, the blade has been a fiendish tool of destruction. Those with a will strong enough to control its multiple thirsting mindsets can cause the sawtoothed blade to shimmer into not one, but several swords that gnaw and gnash with an immortal hunger. These extra blades are insubstantial when the wielder wills it, and razor-sharp when the flesh of his enemies is near. This artefact is only available to the Heretic Astartes of the Alpha Legion. *''Claws of the Black Hunt'' - These vicious hooked talons have spilt the blood of thousands of victims since their creation in the soul forges. Worn by the master of the Black Hunt, a vicious ritual that precedes the greatest of Night Lords invasions, they are so encrusted with gore they are almost black. This congealed fluid is so thick it cannot even be seared away by the vicious energy field that runs about each claw. This is seen by some as a clear sign of a gory blessing from destructive gods. Even when the wielder swipes the air near a foe, not quite making contact, the victim's armour and flesh still mysteriously part as if slashed open by a fierce and invisible beast. This artefact is only available to the Heretic Astartes of the Night Lords. *''Cursed Crozius'' - This artefact was once the rod of office for a founding member of Lorgar's Chaplains, one of the first of his kind to be sent into the Legiones Astartes in order to watch for signs of sedition. In truth, it has always been the weapon of an Archtraitor. First used in anger to bludgeon a Praetor of the White Scars to death, it still bears the indelible stains of that first treacherous kill to this day. The wielder of the Cursed Crozius is instilled with all the knowledge they need to slay the Loyalist thralls of the Corpse-God. This artefact is only available to the Heretic Astartes of the Word Bearers. *''Dark Blade'' - A Dark Blade is jet-black, containing no reflection or marks that mar the perfect satin darkness of its blade, although the hilt, pommel and grip are often richly embellished. The Dark Blade is a hungry killer that feasts on the souls of the slain and urges its bearer on to further acts of barbarity until it is sated. *''Dreadaxe'' - A Dreadaxe ''contains the bound essence of an entrapped entity with a vampiric thirst for souls that is especially partial to destroying daemonic rivals. These bound daemons hate all others of their own kind, and a Dreadaxe is especially efficient when used in combat against other daemons. *Ether Lance ''- The Ether Lance is a Daemon Weapon which acts as a conduit to the Warp. Its bearer can launch bolts of Empyrean energy at his foes or draw them into the lance, eventually consuming them utterly while powering more blasts from the weapon. *''Kai Gun'' - A Kai Gun Daemon Weapon resembles a huge Bolter of archaic design, so large that a normal man would be unable to lift it. It is a two-handed weapon that acts as a psychic catalyst, turning the hate and malice of its wielder into tangible bolts of potent energy. *''The Murder Sword'' - So deadly are the wounds from this blade that some believe it is actually the Anathame -- the legendary cursed weapon suspected to have laid low the Warmaster Horus within the swamps of Davin's Plague Moon. The sword is undoubtedly of eldritch provenance, for with a sacrificial ritual it can become the bane of a certain foe above all others. Khorne Daemons of Khorne are only bound into a weapon as a punishment or when they are vanquished by the Blood God's foes. They utterly detest this imprisonment, and quickly become insane as a result of their captivity and inability to actively engage in slaughter. *''Ar'gath, the King of Blades'' - When a daemon is bound within a weapon by its infernal master, it rarely submits willingly to this terrible incarceration. The same cannot be said for A'rgath. A lifetime of slaughter and zealous dedication saw this butcher granted daemonhood. Such was his devotion to Khorne that instead of accepting immortality as a Daemon Prince, he instead chose to take the form of a deadly blade so that he could spill the lifeblood of Khorne's greatest enemies. Their hand guided by A'rgath's spirit, the sword's wielder becomes nigh unstoppable. To wield Ar'gath in battle is to become one with the blade itself, for the daemon guides his bearer's every thrust, parry and killing blow with unerring accuracy. Countless are the rival Chaos Champions and mortal heroes that have fallen to his power. *''Axe of Blind Fury'' - Bound within this fabled Power Axe is the essence of a Greater Daemon. It rages against its eternity of servitude, resulting in grievous violence against the enemy and, sometimes, its owner or his allies. *''Axe of Khorne ''- Infused with the insatiable bloodlust of Khorne's own rage and fury, an Axe of Khorne ''is a mighty weapon borne by Bloodthirsters and favoured mortal Chaos Champions of Khorne. It is not a true Daemon Weapon in the strictest sense, for it is not sentient and will not rebel, but the rage of the Blood God will spur its bearer to commit carnage to a point that he will lose any instinct for self-preservation he might still have possessed in his pursuit of more blood for the Blood God. *Berserker's Glaive'' - A Berserker's Glaive takes the form of a mighty two-handed blade, and contains the essence of not just one, but an entire host of Bloodletters incarcerated within the fabric of this great sword. Their collective rage drives the bearer into an apoplectic state of bloodlust. As the blade hews through its victims, the daemons within drink deep of the essence of the slain, amplifying their wielder's bloodlust to ever greater heights until they are little more than a living engine of death and destruction. The Lesser Daemons' fury at being imprisoned is transmitted to the wielder who will be forced to constantly fight to control it. However this very fury will also tremendously augment the bearer's aptitude for carnage in melee. *''Bloodfeeder'' - A Bloodfeeder, also known as an Axe of Blind Fury, takes the form of a gigantic two-handed axe, and contains the bound essence of a vanquished Bloodthirster. Only the mightiest of servants of Khorne ever wield such a potent weapon in battle, for the amounts of constant slaughter necessary to keep the Bloodthirster in check is nigh on impossible to achieve. *''Carnage'' and ''Slaughter'' - The Bloodthirster Skarbrand wields a pair of daemonic axes called Carnage and Slaughter that each bear the caged fury of a Bloodthirster within them. To face the Exiled One in combat is therefore to face the combined wrath of three of Khorne’s Greater Daemons! *''Firestorm Blade ''- A mighty greatsword sometimes seen in the hands of Khorne’s most favoured Bloodthirsters, the Firestorm Blade is a massive straight sword engulfed in an impossibly bright nimbus of white fire. At the whim of its wielder, the blade can discharge great gouts of flame at targets within a considerable distance, burning its victims with overwhelming Warpfire. Only one Firestorm Blade has ever been seen within the Vortex, wielded by a powerful mortal champion by the name of Mithros. The man and his army descended into the Lower Vortex with dreams of conquest, and were never heard from again. Many claim that his blade—and other similar objects—is still out there, just waiting for someone powerful or insane enough to claim them. *''Forgewhip'' - It is a long-held belief of numerous blood-cults within the Screaming Vortex that Khorne himself created the original Forgewhip from the essence of a Flesh Hound he wished to punish for failing to catch its quarry. All those that have witnessed the power of a Forgewhip can attest to the inner fury of the weapon, and the way it seems to seek out targets of its own accord. The weapon takes the form of a long whip with many tendrils, each of which appears to be made out of fire and glows with a white-hot inner heat. The fiery cords twist and writhe, crackling with energy and burning the very air around them. *''Great Axe of Khorne'' - Easily the most recognisable symbol of the Blood God, the Great Axe of Khorne is one of the most destructive Khornate Daemon Weapons. Enormous and frightening to behold, each is a horrific fusion of bone, brass, and blood. Its grip is wrapped in the skins of champions foolish enough to challenge the wielder, and its blade is forever slicked with the blood of every head it has taken. At the heart of each Great Axe of Khorne, trapped with the strongest Warp-binds imaginable, is the essence of a Greater Daemon of Khorne. The rage from their imprisonment knows no bounds, and their fury lends near-unlimited power to each swing and to each strike. *''Gorewhip'' - These belts of twisted, blood red sinew are studded with sharpened chunks of broken bone. Each arching swipe of a Gorewhip creates a crack that shakes the sky and a burst of energy that can rip a man in two. They are often characterised as one of the chief weapons of Khorne’s avatars—the Bloodthirsters—and any mortal lucky enough to possess one is said to have Khorne's direct favour. *''Hellblade ''- Forged from the essence of a vanquished Bloodletter, a Hellblade is the standard weapon wielded by other Bloodletters. Like an Axe of Khorne, it is not a true Daemon Weapon in the strictest sense, for it is not sentient and will not rebel. *''Heart-Ripper'' - A rarity for a Daemon Weapon of Khorne, a Heart-Ripper often takes the form of a rabid, snarling reaper autocannon, the twin barrels emerging from the jagged maw of the Bloodletter or Flesh Hound bound to the gun. Each time the gun fires it howls with rage, imprinting Khorne’s fury onto every Warp-enhanced shell. Unlike other ranged Daemon Weapons, the Heart-Ripper still needs to be reloaded, although whether that is to feed the ammunition hoppers or simply to feed the Daemon within remains a mystery. *''Khartoth the Bloodhunger'' - According to the whim of Khorne, the daemons of his realm take part in an immense tournament. Khorne takes the Daemonsword known as Khartoth the Bloodhunger, which is capable of cutting through not only matter but also time, and hides it within one of his Flesh Hounds. The legions of Khorne fall upon each other with sword and axe, slaughtering and butchering whilst hunting the Flesh Hounds, who tear apart any daemon who approaches. The daemon brave, strong or fortunate enough to slay the Flesh Hound containing the Daemonsword becomes the Lord of the Slaughter, and may wield the Bloodhunger. For a day or an age, as Khorne sees fit, the Lord of the Slaughter enjoys great privilege in battle. When Khorne wearies of his Lord of the Slaughter's exploits, the Blood God begins the tournament again. A Flesh Hound devours both wielder and sword, combining their essence, and the daemons battle again until Khorne finds a new Lord of the Slaughter. *''Soulfire Lance ''- Taking the form of a twisted spinal column or collection of broken bones stretched unnaturally into a long staff, the Soulfire Lance is a gateway to the Immaterium. Each time the bearer squeezes the Lance, the Daemon within howls, unleashing a vortex of Empyrean energy that draws its victims into the Lance itself. Nurgle Weapons containing a daemon of Nurgle serve as a conduit for Nurgle's favorite diseases and pestilences. *''An'garrach''- A weapon perhaps more infested than possessed, An’garrach has a long history and has changed hands more times than anyone cares to recollect. A Legion Chainsword containing the bound essence of one or more Nurglings, An’garrach exists to spread illness, and is too stupid a creature to realise the indignity of its situation. More enthusiastic than most other Daemon Weapons, it revs its motor and drools pus-filled oil with annoying regularity, perhaps explaining its frequent change of ownership. *''Fathers of Blades'' - Rumoured to be the original Plagueswords created not long after Nurgle came into being, the ancient Fathers of Blades have spent millennia spreading corruption. Their cracked and rusted lengths deaden the senses of those nearby, and any who mistime their swings find their attacks deflected off its corroded edge. *'Balesword' - A Balesword is a Daemon Weapon of Nurgle. These plague-infected blades are favoured melee weapons of the Heralds of Nurgle called Poxbringers and the Blightlord Terminators of the Death Guard Traitor Legion. *'Manreaper' - A Manreaper is an enormous Power Scythe that has been dipped in the filth of Nurgle himself. Carrying a shard of the Plague God within, these virulent weapons are much sought after by the servants of Nurgle, even if they sometimes claim the life of their bearer as well. *'Pandemic Staff' - A Pandemic Staff is a close combat weapon that acts as a vessel of Nurgle's favourite contagions, their afflictions joyfully spread in the Materium. *'Plaguebringer' - Plaguebringers are forged from the very essence of Nurgle's best diseases, and are utterly fatal to any living being that the weapon comes in contact with, even the toughest of foes. The standard weapon of Plaguebearers, it is not a true Daemon Weapon in the strictest sense, for it is not sentient and will not rebel. *'Plague Knife' - The hallmark weapon of the Death Guard Traitor Legion, which was originally their close combat blade, the Plague Knife is a broad trench dagger, which was a brutal and efficient weapon in hand-to-hand combat. When the Astartes of the Death Guard were transformed by the corrupting influence of Nurgle, these blades transformed as well. Now they have become Plague Knives, corroded weapons coated with rust and numerous diseases, the better to spread Father Nurgle's vile blessings across the galaxy. Only those pure in his sight such as his Plague Marines are granted such a weapon, and any lesser being suffering even the slightest wound is gifted with one of his innumerable creations such as Nurgle's Rot or the Weeping Pox. *'Plaguesword' - A Plaguesword is a large, corroded one-handed sword that drips with venomous pus and the pestilent blessings of Grandfather Nurgle, its touch being utterly lethal to mortal foes. *''Puscleaver'' - This blade bears the infamous Gurgling Doom contagion. One struck by the blade typically has only a few agonising solar seconds left to live before they finally realise the glory of Nurgle's generosity and keel over gurgling phlegm. Only servants of the Plague God may wield this artefact. Slaanesh Weapons containing a daemon of Slaanesh seek to overload the victim's senses, inducing a long and excruciating agony instead of slaying them outright. *''Blissgiver ''- A Blissgiver is a Daemon Weapon that takes the form of a slender blade or writhing whip whose merest touch can induce a pleasurable coma, allowing the victim to be captured alive. *''Lash of Torment ''- A Lash of Torment ''is a Daemon Weapon resembling an animated whip that twists and coils with a mind of its own, feeding on a victim's terror and pain, before telepathically sharing it with any beings who are close by. This is highly entertaining for servants of Slaanesh, and utterly horrifying for its victims. *Needle of Desire'' - The Needle of Desire is a Daemon Weapon which takes the appearance of a long, slim double-pointed needle inscribed with blasphemous runes within runes all the way down to a microscopic level. One half is embedded in the arm of the Chaos Champion bearing it where it absorbs the foul narcotics naturally synthesised by Champions of Slaanesh, allowing the bearer to inject those into other beings using the other end of the Needle. The bearer will often share this gift with friend and foe; and while to another servant of Slaanesh it is an incredibly intense and pleasurable experience, the drugs contained within are utterly fatal to anyone or anything else. *'Witstealer Sword' - A Witstealer Sword is a Daemon Weapon utilised by the daemons of Slaanesh, particularly his Greater Daemons, the Keeper of Secrets. As this sword bites into flesh, it saps the foe's mind, stripping more away with every cut until nothing of their memories, personality or sanity remain. Tzeentch Weapons containing a daemon of Tzeentch either boost the bearer's psychic powers, or allow him access to psychic abilities he would be incapable of wielding on his own. *''Bedlam Staff'' - A Bedlam Staff ''is an ancient Daemon Weapon that takes the form of a stave which is exclusively employed by Thousand Sons Chaos Sorcerers to use as a foci for their powers. The few remaining examples of these fell weapons are steeped in ten millennia of wild psychic power. Enemies struck by the power of these powerful staves have their nervous systems overloaded by Warp energies, rending conscious thought from their minds, leaving them unable to act and vulnerable to further attacks. *Deathscreamer'' - A Deathscreamer is a Daemon Weapon that channels the psychic power of its bearer into howling bolts of arcane energy that rip their target apart. *''Krz'at'tchal'' - Once a weapon proudly serving the Astra Militarum many thousands of Terran years ago, the Flamer now known as Krz'at'tchal has been a Daemon Weapon for so long that it barely remembers existence beyond the bizarre flesh and steel of its prison. Once a Flamer of Tzeentch, the daemon now projects its many-coloured flames through the mutated nozzle of the Flamer it calls home. *''Pandemonium Stave'' - Potent Daemon Weapons of immense power, Pandemonium Staves are wielded only by Tzeentch's greatest champions. Longer than a man is tall and consisting of a single rod of roughly hewn and psychically bonded black granite, these staves tend to cast unnatural shadows, drawing in nearby light and glowing softly in a pattern that can make those that stare at it too long feel sick. The dull glow quickly changes to a bright white when the wielder channels his own psychic energy down the length of the stave, and the daemon contained within screams out, adding its own caged fury to the power of the attack. *''Seer's Bane'' - The Lord of Change Malach'raccatax was cruelly punished by Tzeentch for having the temerity to utter an undiluted truth in his infernal master's presence. Now bound within a sleek blade, Malach'raccatax scythes through its victim's mind even as its keen edge cuts their flesh. Psykers are especially susceptible to this harrowing mental assault as Malach'raccatax uses their innate connection to the Warp to tear their soul to shreds. *''Warp Blade'' - A Warp Blade is a Daemon Weapon that is gifted to the mightiest of Chaos Sorcerers and most devious of plotters. A Warp Blade has the power to dissipate and scatter psychic energy aimed at its bearer. This tends to attract the denizens of the Warp, who hungrily sniff out the source of the power and can be set angrily upon any bystanders. Unique Daemon Weapons Some Daemon Weapons and artefacts are truly unique, and they have risen to infamy alongside their bearers: *''Anguish'' - Little is known of the Daemon Weapon known only as Anguish. Some amongst the arcane scholars of the Ordo Malleus doubt that it even exists. Anguish is reputed to take the form of a long basket-hilted sword -- its hilt dotted with thorny spines, its mirror-like blade etched with images of bird feathers and lidless eyes. It has been said to radiate a chill like that of the void between stars and to have an edge so sharp that it can cleave the curtain of reality; opening a wound-like portal into the Warp through which the wielder of the blade may pass through to far and strange places. *''Agoniser'' - Found in the vaults of the world of Occatus I, the Agoniser is a potent and mighty Daemon-possessed Runesword wielded by the fallen Adeptus Sororitas Miriael Sabathiel. Snaking tubes connect it to a needle in Miriael's arm, where it absorbs the foul narcotics naturally synthesised by the bodies of the Champions of Slaanesh. She also wields a daemonic Bolter, another gift to her from Slaanesh for her service as his Champion. *''Artekus Scourge'' - The Artekus Scourge ''is a daemonic weapon originally borne by the infamous Chapter Master Artekus Bardane of the now-Excommunicate Traitoris'' Relictors Space Marine Chapter. This weapon appears as a flail tipped with balls of pure energy in the form of screaming daemonic faces. The flail snaps and gnashes at the souls of those it hits. *''Axe of Kha-Aksha ''- This fell Khornate relic serves as a prison for the essence of the Bloodthirster Kha Ak-Lash Kha-Aksha. In his pride, the Bloodthirster rebelled against his lord and master Khorne, and was doomed to this fate by the furious Blood God. This infamous Bloodfeeder Daemon Weapon has over time become legendary over the whole region of space adjacent to the Calixis Sector known as the Screaming Vortex, as its wielders have all carved themselves bloody empires before succumbing to the insane fury of the trapped daemon within the weapon. Today, the Axe of Ka-Aksha can be found on the planet Messia within the Vortex, waiting for the servant of the Blood God who will tear it from its current wielder's grasp. *''Axe Morkai'' - Claimed by the Space Wolves' Great Wolf Logan Grimnar from a mighty lord of the World Eaters he defeated during the First War for Armageddon, the Great Wolf had the molten-bladed axe reforged in the image of the Fenrisian Wolf-God, Morkai. Time has proven Grimnar wise, for he has used the blade to fell even the mightiest creatures of the Warp, including the Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red. *''Black Blade of Angron'' - The Primarch Angron's personal daemonic sword, this gigantic black blade could cleave anything in two. This weapon was destroyed by the powerful psychic defence of the Grey Knights during the First War for Armageddon. *''Black Blade of Antwyr'' - The Black Blade of Antwyr is a Warp-spawned weapon that was captured by the daemon-hunting Grey Knights Space Marines and is impervious to all means at the the Grey Knights' disposal to destroy it. The Grey Knights were reluctant to simply cast the dangerous artefact into the void of interstellar space where they knew that eventually a new bearer would be drawn to its evil aura or to seal it away in a vault within their fortress-monastery on Titan as it would only invite corruption to its guardians. A fateful decision was made to place the Black Blade of Antwyr into the safest prison the Grey Knights could conceive; the hands of the Chapter's own Purifiers. Castellan Garran Crowe is the current guardian of the malefic weapon, and it continuously brings him into both physical and spiritual peril by tempting him with Chaos' promises of power or seeking to bind his will with black sorcery. Such is his indomitable will that he wields the Black Blade as a conventional sword, his purity of soul and spirit keeping its evil at bay. *''Blade of Phaedron'' - A Chapter relic of the excommunicated Relictors Chapter, inside the Blade of Phaedron lies the seething soul of a Daemon possessed of a great enmity for all its kin. Although it is unremarkable when employed against a living thing, against a Daemon the blade will blaze white with the pure heat of the captive Daemon's rage. *''Black Mace'' - This fell weapon is said to have been blessed (or cursed) by each of the Daemon Primarchs in turn. The Black Mace takes the form of a large ornate bludgeon, and so fell is the power contained in this baroque abomination that any struck by it collapses immediately into mouldering bones, while the horrendous curse that just brought the poor soul low seeks to spread to any living being standing nearby. *''Blade of Decay'' - The Blade of Decay is a sword carried by one of Nurgle's most favoured Greater Daemons, Scabeiathrax. It has the power to rapidly decay anything it touches. Organic creatures that are hit with the blade find their flesh rotting away before their eyes and armoured vehicles rust away with the sudden passage of centuries when hit. *''Deii'Sh'thuhl the Whispering Blade'' - Fell legends from the area of space known as the Screaming Vortex speak of two former Renegade pirate captains, both having sworn fealty to Slaanesh, but rivals in every other thing. The endlessly escalating conflict of both reaver captains ultimately drove them both to ruin. While still mortals, both constantly sought to outdo the other, each transforming his fleet into a pleasure den and torture chamber to craft new perfections of mass sacrifices and exquisite agonies. Both mortals were eventually rewarded with ascension to daemonhood, but this only served to fuel their rivalry, which only ended when one of them crafted an exquisite blade, hewn from a single turquoise crystal, which was hailed as an impossibly precise piece of art. Unwilling to concede defeat, his rival then willingly bound himself to the blade, pouring his essence into it in order to steal victory. Despairing, but unwilling to destroy his masterpiece, the other Daemon Prince cast the blade into the Screaming Vortex, unwilling to again set eye on his defeat. Thus was born the blade known as Deii'Sh'thuhl, a prison from which the victorious contestant whispers endlessly of unspeakable depravations to any mortal foolish enough to pick up the blade. *''Drach'nyen'' - Bound to the will of the mighty Chaos Lord Abaddon the Despoiler, this arcane blade contains the bound essence of Drach'nyen, a writhing Warp entity that can rend reality apart. Legend states that Drach'nyen was birthed in the Warp from the psychic echo of the first human murder. Now in the form of a mighty daemon sword, and fuelled by countless millennia of homicide and death, Drach'nyen 's power is so great that it effortlessly sunders all that it touches. *''Goreseeker'' - Containing a Flesh Hound of Khorne, this razor-fanged axe confers those creatures' best known traits upon the one who wields it. It was last seen in the hands of the Aspiring Champion Gorath Varix, who was leading a warband of Khornate Berserkers during a raid on the world of Midael. Varix was confirmed dead in the battle’s aftermath, but the weapon was nowhere to be found. *''Gore Thirster ''- Gore Thirster is a monstrous cleaver of dark metal whose pitted and stained surface sweats beads of blood. Within Gore Thirster’s crudely forged metal is bound a Daemon of rage and slaughter whose hunger for blood is without limit. Those who wield this tool of atrocity find their senses overlaid with the red rage of the thing bound within, and to master Gore Thirster they must overcome a fearsome will focused upon murder and destruction. *''Hesht, the Granter of Vengeance ''- Hesht is a dagger with two parallel blades of twisted metal like the teeth of a predatory beast. Thrust into the chest of an enemy, the Daemon bound within the blades gorges on the victim’s essence and soul. The victim is slain in the most complete and terrible manner possible, and the Daemon strains hungrily at its bonds seeking more life on which to feed. Hesht was forged by the foul enemies of the Imperium that were driven from the Calixis Sector during the Angevin Crusade. In desperation, they turned all their vile arts to make weapons both great and small to try and turn the tide against the forces of the Imperium. They failed and were annihilated, but their vile creations, of which Hesht is one, endured and were left to tempt and corrupt those who had vanquished their creators. *''Khartoth the Bloodhunger'' - Khartoth a mighty Daemonsword that has the capability of cutting through not only matter but also time. The Daemons of the Blood God's kingdom in the Realm of Chaos are known to take part in an immense tournament. Khorne takes the Daemonsword and hides it within one of his Flesh Hounds. The daemonic legions of Khorne fall upon each other with sword and axe, slaughtering and butchering one another in order to obtain the fell weapon. The Daemon brave, strong or fortunate enough to slay the Flesh Hound containing the Daemonsword becomes the Lord of the Slaughter and may wield Bloodhunger for a day or an age, as Khorne sees fit. The Lord of the Slaughter enjoys great privilege in battle amongst the other Daemons of the Blood God. When Khorne grows weary of his Lord of Slaughter's exploits, a new Flesh Hound devours the wielder and the Daemonsword, combining their essence, and the Blood God begins the tournament anew. *''Midnight ''- The weapon called Midnight has had many other names in the time since its forging beneath strange dying stars. The Daemon bound within Midnight is a thing that has been imprisoned for so long that all that remains is its hunger; hunger for light, for hope, for life. Light and warmth are drawn to Midnight. Its true shape is a mystery: it is glimpsed only as impressions of razor edges and barbs glimpsed in a pall of darkness. *''Nach'ra'ael the Hungering'' - The final prison of the Daemon Prince Nach’ra’ael, this sword was crafted specifically to hold the Daemon by artisans enslaved by a rival’s warband, the name of which is long lost to history. A horrifically powerful weapon, the blade seems to move between the worlds of the Screaming Vortex seemingly at random, appearing occasionally in the hands of a warlord powerful enough to claim it without succumbing to the weapon’s inhabitant. In this, Nach’ra’ael perhaps has the last laugh, for it has managed to reclaim former glories by possessing unworthy wielders. *''Silence'' - Silence, to give it the macabre nickname favoured by its wielder, the Daemon Primarch Mortarion of the Death Guard Traitor Legion, Silence is a massive two-handed battle scythe with a blade span as long as most human warriors are tall. This formidable weapon is accounted as one of the most fearsome blades wielded by any Primarch. Since Mortarion's finding by the Emperor during the Great Crusade, there have been dark whispers that the blade is of xenos-tainted origin, and some familiar with the legend of the Death Guard Primarch's early life believe it to be none other than the weapon of the terrible charnel creature that once named himself Mortarion's "father." *''Silver Blade of the Laer'' - The Silver Blade of the Laer was a single-edged sword of elegant xenos craftsmanship recovered by Fulgrim, Primarch of the Emperor's Children Legion, from a great temple dedicated to the Chaos God of Pleasure in the aftermath of the cleansing of the Xenos World of Laeran by the forces of the III Legion in the closing days of the Great Crusade. Unbeknownst to Fulgrim, however, it held the essence of a powerful Greater Daemon of Slaanesh which would eventually overpower and possess Fulgrim during the Drop Site Massacre on Istvaan V. After freeing itself by taking control of Fulgrim's body, the Daemon later gave the Silver Blade, now bereft of its possessing Warp entity but still a finely crafted weapon, to Captain Lucius, sensing great potential for mastering the way of Slaanesh within the arrogant Astartes. *''Sword of Saint Aquitaine'' - The Sword of Saint Aquitaine was recovered by the Relictors Chapter immediately prior to its debasement and subsequent possession by a daemonic entity, and contains a nightmarish creature of such power it can turn day into night. *''Rot Giver ''- Rot Giver is a huge hammer of corroded iron. Its surface is patterned with blooms of rust and decay that to a fevered mind might seem to be foul marks and hateful runes growing from within the metal itself. The weapon was said to have been made of metal torn from space hulks which had drifted in the warp for seven thousand years and forged in a furnace fired by corpses before being quenched the slime of a plague pit. Rot Giver is surrounded by a nauseous air of decay; metal left in is presence crumbles to rust, wood rots, and dead flesh begins to turn pale and rotten. Only the one who can master the will of the Daemon within Rot Giver is untouched by its power. Undiscovered and untamed in millennia, Rot Giver now lies in a Space Hulk. Once a great warship long ago, the Space Hulk drifts through the Fydae Great Cloud waiting to be found once again. *''The Lash of Bitterness ''- The Lash of Bitterness is a long whip of bones and teeth taken from humans and the predatory creatures of Iocanthos. Within it is bound the tortured essence of a Warp creature whose being is consumed by fear and insanity. The Lash of Bitterness was said to have been created by a slave champion of the Crow Father and to have been wielded in combat against Drusus himself. It was recovered from the battlefield by servants of the Holy Ordos in the wake of the saint’s cleansing of Iocanthos, and it is now is sealed in the Lightless Vaults of the Tricorn palace -- its twitching coils muttering vileness and wishing ill to all life. *''The Mace of Judgement ''- The Mace of Judgement is a symbol of Imperial might and purity that was violated by the Pilgrims of Hayte and turned into a mockery of its original purpose. The Mace has a haft and head of dark, wrought metal topped with winged fist clasping a skull of adamantine. Charred spills of parchment inscribed with tracts from the Book of Judgement coil the mace’s length, secured by seals of thick wax. It was a weapon made to demonstrate the might of Imperial law and punish those who deny its authority. The Mace of Judgement was possessed by Adeptus Arbites Judge Mielira, who was captured by the Pilgrims of Hayte while countering their activities on Vaxanide. Rather than kill their prisoner, the Pilgrims of Hayte took her weapon and bound into it a Warp thing of madness and endless hate. They then set Judge Mielira free and returned her mace of authority. The cultists watched while the Daemon in her weapon twisted the Judge’s own faith and conviction and made her a monster to whom all were guiltily and worthy only of death. Mielira the Bloody was finally killed by vassals of Inquisitor Skane. However, her black mace that had become the trademark of her atrocities was never recovered. *''The Sceptre of Ten Thousand Moons ''- The Sceptre of Ten Thousand Moons is long rod of obsidian from which grinning sickle moons leer in constantly shifting patterns. Topped with a spray of silver feathers and a blue gem the size of a human eye the Sceptre of Ten Thousand Moons is possesses a destructive power craved by sorcerers and deceivers of all kinds. It is said to have passed through the hands of dozens of Warp dabbling cults in the Malfian Sub-Sector, and is whispered to have betrayed each one it has served to their destruction. In whose hands it resides at present remains unknown. *''The Spear of Countless Eyes ''- The Spear of Countless Eyes is a tall spear of hammered bronze whose dark wooden haft is carved with lidded eyes that open and close to reveal rolling yellow irises and black slit pupils. It was created by the Warp corrupted hunter tribes who dwelt on Iocanthos long before the Imperium claimed it. The Spear of Countless Eyes is said to make a hunter able to see with unnatural clarity and be able to feel all that passes around him as if it were the touch of wind on his skin. Though the old dark ways have long been burnt from Iocanthos, such relics as the Spear of Countless Eyes endure to as a memory of a dark past that may return once again. *''The Whispers of Delight ''- The Whispers of Delight were Daemon-bound daggers created by the Order of the Amethyst Serpent on Malfi. Each dagger had a long blade of amethyst that twisted like a tongue of fire, a hilt of bladed and spiked finger loops, and was etched with dying words of thirty six sacrifices to the Prince of Pleasure. The Whispers of Delight were given to the Order’s assassins. who were reputed to be able to persuade their victims to grant them admittance to their most intimate chambers before their throats were cut. After the Order of the Amethyst Serpent was broken by the Ordo Malleus, three of the Whispers of Delight were recovered. However, it is believed that more exist and survived the destruction of their makers. *''Vilemaw'' - Once borne into battle by Ahn Sokar, the Icon Bearer and later Coryphaus of the Word Bearers Traitor Legions’ 39th Host, this Bolter somehow found its way to a makeshift shrine of bone and steel on the reaver world of Iniquity, awaiting a worthy master. Though the beast imprisoned within is only a minor Warp entity, little more than an Astral Spectre, the weapon itself is a relic of the Traitor Legions, proud and belligerent, and unwilling to suffer the touch of mere mortals. With every unworthy soul who attempts to claim this weapon, the shrine grows a little larger. Sources *''Black Crusade: Core Rulebook'' (RPG), pp. 194-202 *''Black Crusade: The Tome of Fate'' (RPG), pp. 38-39 *''Black Crusade: The Tome of Blood'' (RPG), pp. 40-42, 120, 137 *''Black Crusade: The Tome of Excess'' (RPG), pg. 37 *''Black Crusade: The Tome of Decay (RPG), pg. 43 *''Codex: Chaos Daemons (8th Edition), pp. 41, 98, 100, 130 *''Codex: Chaos Daemons'' (6th Edition), pp. 61-63 *''Codex: Chaos Daemons'' (4th Edition), pp. 32, 40 *''Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines'' (8th Edition), pp. 162-163 *''Codex Heretic Astartes - Death Guard'' (8th Edition), pp. 68-69, 81 *''Codex: Chaos Space Marines'' (6th Edition), pp. 64-65, 69, 91 *''Codex: Chaos Space Marines'' (4th Edition), pg. 93 *''Codex: Chaos Space Marines'' (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), pp. 13, 19-20, 43-44, 47-48, 51, 55-56, 59, 61 *''Codex: Chaos Space Marines'' (3rd Edition, 1st Codex), pp. 28-29 *''Dark Heresy: The Radical's Handbook'' (RPG), pp. 174, 179-183 *''Dark Millennium Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game'' (2003), Miriael Sabathiel - Corrupted Sister of Battle Card *''Dark Millennium Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game - Hope's Twilight'' (2006), Miriael Sabathiel - Champion of Chaos Card (Ultra Rare) *''Realms of Chaos - Slaves to Darkness'' (2nd Edition), pp. 94-97 *''White Dwarf'' 273 (US), "Index Malleus - Infernal Threat" by Phil Kelly and Graham McNeill, pp. 90, 92 *''Fulgrim ''(Novel) by Graham McNeill Daemon Weapons of Legend es:Armas demonio Category:D Category:Chaos Category:Chaos Weapons Category:Daemons Category:Chaos Space Marines Category:Weapons